The third-generation Kia Soul have been teased ahead of its debut at the Los Angeles motor show later this month.

The teaser image gives us a glimpse of the car's hindquarters, revealing the side of the new hockey-stick taillights, end of the roof rails, fuel filler cap, and part of the rear wheel arch.

We can also see the Soul-branded plastic element visually linking the rear quarter windows with the tail-lights.

Our most recent set of spy photos, taken in September this year, reveal the new Soul will have an evolutionary exterior, albeit offering a more pronounced leap forward than we saw between first- and second-generation models.

The car will go on sale as a 2020 model in the USA, where it's traditionally been pitched as a crossover. The vehicle in the teaser features grey wheel arch extensions, but it's not clear whether all variants will be similarly dressed.

For the North American market, the Soul will be available with a number of drivetrain options, including a turbocharged petrol engine, and an electric-only setup. It's believed only the electric version of the Soul will be available in Europe.

Australia

It's unclear when or if the Soul will land in Australian showrooms.

Kia Australia has previously committed to bringing two all-electric models into the country by 2021, raising the possibility the Soul EV may be sold here at some stage.

Last we heard, the car's future was "under consideration". Given its sluggish performance, we'd suggest the Grim Reaper is already sharpening his sickle.